The invention relates to a pivotable rollover bar assembly for motor vehicles, in particular for four-seater convertibles, comprising a rollover bar curved in the shape of a U to surround a rear seating area of a passenger compartment in a lowered rest position and drive apparatus for raising the rollover bar to its raised operative position in which its crossbar spans the interior of the passenger compartment.
It is known from the field of motor vehicle construction, particularly in the case of vehicles without a rigid top, to arrange a U-shaped rollover bar on the vehicle body. In its operative position, the rollover bar spans the passenger compartment starting from a side edge of the vehicle and thus protects persons sitting in the vehicle from direct contact with the ground if the vehicle rolls over. A rollover bar of this kind is illustrated, for example in German Patent 3,410,676.
This rollover bar must be able to provide high supporting forces with its lateral limbs and with its crossbar. For this reason, the cross-section of the rollover bar is large. However, this has the effect that the interior of the vehicle, and, especially, the shoulder space for the person sitting between the limbs of the lowered rollover bar, is restricted.
An object on which the invention is based is to create more interior space for the seated persons in a motor vehicle with a rollover bar of the generic type.
This object is achieved according to preferred embodiments of the invention by providing an arrangement wherein the rollover bar is provided on its lateral limbs with a flattened portion on the side facing the interior of the passenger compartment, this flattened portion enlarging the interior of the passenger compartment at the sides of the seat, and wherein at least one supporting tube projects from the rollover bar towards the vehicle body, said at least one supporting tube being displaceable together with the rollover bar and being guided in a guide in the vehicle body and serving to absorb forces acting on the rollover bar in the transverse direction of the vehicle.
The pivotable rollover bar is bent or curved in the shape of a U and surrounds the rear seating area of the passenger compartment in a lowered rest position. The rollover bar can be pivoted by a drive unit up about lateral bearings on the vehicle body about a transverse axis of the vehicle, into a raised operative position in which it spans the passenger compartment with a crossbar. The rollover bar has lateral limbs with flattened portions of narrow design to the side of the rear seat backs and these enlarge the interior of the passenger compartment at the sides of the seat. To ensure that these flattened portions on the lateral limbs do not lead to any loss in rigidity in the rollover bar in the event of a rollover, at least one supporting tube displaceable together with the rollover bar and taking up forces at least in the transverse direction of the vehicle projects from the rollover bar towards the vehicle body.
In an easily constructed embodiment of the invention, this supporting tube is in the form of a circular arc in its longitudinal direction, in conformance with the movement of the point of connection to the rollover bar, and can slide in a guide which closely surrounds the supporting tube.
The supporting tube can also serve to support the rollover bar in its operative position if the supporting tube can be locked in this position by customary latching means, according to preferred embodiments of the invention.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.